Adam Scholefield is vice-captain of the GB Olympic water-polo team

As the 2012 Olympics opens, the Department sends our own Olympian all our very best wishes for a successful Games.

Adam first took part in a game of water polo on his 10th birthday and was immediately hooked. The team sport, water polo, involves passing a ball down the pool to score goals and for Adam the competition was addictive. “I remember I hated getting out of the pool and I couldn’t wait for the next session,” he recalls. As his sporting skills improved, he moved from competing at local level to playing for Rotherham, one of the top water polo clubs in the UK, and was invited to join the GB team at the age of 17.

Adam studied a four-year undergraduate course in Electrical Engineering, gaining a scholarship that allowed him to continue his water polo training alongside his undergraduate degree. After graduating with a first class degree, he moved up to Manchester to join the GB team but continued his studies at the College, commuting once a week to Imperial to work on his PhD in image processing under the supervision of Dr Pier Luigi Dragotti.

Adam trains for two two- hour sessions in the pool every day, concentrating on shooting, tactics, passing the ball and legwork. In addition, the team does weight training in the gym two to four times every week.” When asked what he does to relax he laughs and says: “My PhD!”

On the day of a water polo game the team starts mentally preparing several hours before, going over their tactics. “I definitely think the logical thinking I developed during my degree helps me recognise what other teams are planning,” says Adam.

After the Olympics, Adam is keen to finish his PhD and he is convinced that the focus he’s developed through training will help him in his career. “Being in the water for four hours a day might sound a lot but professional sport teaches you to get the best out of every opportunity. I hope to translate that ethos into my studies.”

(Story from Imperial College Reporter)